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How to use your Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 Android Tablet with S Pen LTE Edition (2016) as a pseudo laptop

If you are anything like me and are a technology buff, you quite possibly have a lot of devices that are lying around that you haven't used for ages. In my case, while trawling through some of my old gear, i came across a lot of bluetooth devices that were sitting derelict in a box.

Needing a mobile solution for work and play, i recently purchased a Samsung Tab A 10.1 with S Pen (2016 LTE edition). I must say, I have probably gotten more done since buying this tablet than I have for awhile.

Stuff you will need to make this work

1. Bluetooth Keyboard - If you don't have one, you can get one from eBay from around $20
2. Bluetooth Mouse - again, if you don't have one - eBay from around $12
3. Bluetooth Headphones - I have an old pair of Plantronics Backbeat GO2
4. Samsung Tab A 10.1 with S Pen (2016 LTE edition) from Officeworks for about $389 or the LTE version from JBHiFi for around $599

With these three items, you can effectively transform this tablet into a road warriors dream - well sort of.

I am currently writing this article using the exact formula that is shown above. Pairing the bluetooth keyboard, mouse and headphones, you can effectively have an extremely portable "laptop" that requires minimal space and great battery life - and the beauty of it, you can charge it on any USB charging port e.g. the one you carry for your mobile phone, the one in your car, the one in the airplane seat etc.

The bluetooth headphones work as a phone system when you couple the Samsungs LTE capability with a phone and data plan (I'm with Vodafone Sim Only). The tablet allows you to dial out and you can do your talking on the headphones while working on the tablet itself, which comes in pretty handy.

The 10.1inch tablet screen is excellent for viewing and typing and because it is a tablet, battery life on this is tremendous - it lasts me at between 3 - 5 days without needing a charge, which can be extended using the Power Saving .

If you have the facility available to you, you can also use Google Remote Desktop to remote control your Windows PC (or Mac) from your tablet. This will allow you to run your basic Windows or Mac related software from your tablet (as long as you have internet connectivity), and lets face it, how often are you without internet connection.

For me this has all added up to a great way of getting things done in an extremely portable format at an extremely affordable budget.

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